Employee ID cards help identify staff, contractors and authorised visitors. They are commonly used in workplaces to support building security, manage access to restricted areas and make employees easier to recognise.
Ordering ID cards from an external supplier can take time, especially when you need replacement cards, badges for new employees or temporary visitor passes. Printing delays and shipping times may also slow the process when cards are needed quickly.
Keep reading to learn six ways that your business can benefit from having an ID card printer.
1) Faster Card Printing
New employees, contractors and visitors often need an ID card before they can access the workplace. Waiting several days for an external supplier may delay onboarding or require temporary security arrangements.
An in-house ID card printer allows businesses to produce cards within minutes. Most desktop printers use dye-sublimation or retransfer printing to create durable PVC cards with high-resolution photos, text and company branding. Modern models also support dual-sided printing, reducing the time needed to produce employee badges.
2) Quick Badge Replacements
Employee badges can be lost, damaged or stop working through daily use. Waiting for a replacement from an external supplier may leave staff without building access or photo identification.
Businesses that regularly issue staff or visitor badges often invest in employee ID card printers from Digital ID, allowing them to print new cards on demand, replace lost badges quickly, and avoid the delays and costs of outsourcing.
Printing replacements on-site also allows businesses to deactivate the old credential immediately and issue a new badge without interrupting the employee’s work.
3) Better Security
Employee ID cards can be used alongside access control systems to manage entry to offices, server rooms, warehouses and other restricted areas.
Depending on the system, cards may contain RFID chips, magnetic stripes or QR codes that verify a user’s access permissions.
Printing cards in-house also makes it easier to issue new credentials, update employee information or replace cards without waiting for another print order. This is particularly useful when staff join, leave, or change roles.
4) Lower Long-Term Costs
Ordering ID cards individually or in small batches can become expensive. Businesses may also need to pay for artwork changes, shipping, and replacement orders whenever new employees join or cards need updating.
Printing cards in-house removes many of these recurring costs. Blank PVC cards and printer ribbons can be purchased in bulk, while new cards are printed only when needed, helping reduce waste and unnecessary reorders.
5) Consistent Branding
Employee ID cards are often one of the first things customers, visitors, and contractors notice. A professionally designed card helps reinforce your company’s identity while making employees easy to recognise.
Printing in-house allows businesses to maintain the same logo, colours, fonts and card layout across every department. Information such as job titles, departments, expiry dates, QR codes or emergency contact details can also be updated whenever required without redesigning the entire card.
6) Easier to Scale
Visitor passes, contractor badges, temporary staff cards and event credentials may all need to be printed throughout the year.
Having an ID card printer on-site allows these cards to be produced when they’re needed instead of waiting for an external supplier. This can speed up onboarding, visitor registration and temporary access requests.
Opt For In-House ID Card Printing
An ID card printer gives businesses control over how employee and visitor badges are produced. New cards, replacement badges and temporary passes can all be printed on demand without waiting for an external supplier.
It also makes it easier to keep card designs consistent, update employee information, and support workplace security through photo identification and access credentials. For businesses that issue ID cards regularly, printing them in-house can simplify the entire process and help to cut operational costs in the long term.